Australia is advancing legislation that would require major technology companies Meta, Google, and TikTok to pay local news publishers for sharing news content that drives traffic on their platforms [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. If these companies do not reach commercial content agreements, they face a compulsory levy of 2.25% on their Australian revenue [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The revenue raised through this levy would be distributed to Australian news outlets based on the number of journalists they employ, aiming to support local journalism jobs [5, 6].

The proposed legislation specifically targets Meta, Google, and TikTok, while excluding companies such as Microsoft, Snapchat, and OpenAI [5, 6, 7]. It seeks to close loopholes that previously allowed social media platforms to use news content without providing compensation [1, 2, 3]. When a similar law was first proposed in 2024, Meta responded by removing the "news" tab for Australian users and ending news content agreements in multiple countries [1, 2, 3, 6, 7].

Meta has strongly opposed the current draft law, labeling it "poorly designed, grossly unfair, discriminatory, and economically incoherent." The company claims the law will not create a sustainable news industry and argues it violates Australia’s free trade agreement with the United States by unfairly targeting foreign tech firms [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Meta added that the legislation would insulate publishers from competitive pressure by "guaranteeing revenue regardless of whether they build sustainable business models" [5].

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has voiced full support for the new law. He stated that "large digital platforms cannot avoid their obligations under the news media bargaining code" and said journalism must have a "monetary value attached to it" rather than being exploited by multinational corporations without compensation [1, 2, 3, 5]. Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells called the law "only fair," saying "large digital platforms contribute to the hard work of journalism that enriches their feeds and that drives their revenue" [6].

The Australian government plans to formally submit the legislation to Parliament for consideration later in 2026 [4, 7]. This step will move the law closer to becoming enforceable, setting a concrete timetable for how tech giants must handle payments to Australian news publishers.